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Thibodeaux resigns as UCA beach volleyball coach after two seasons
Central Arkansas launches national coaching search after Avery Thibodeaux steps down from beach volleyball program he led for two seasons.
Avery Thibodeaux is stepping away from Conway.
The Central Arkansas head beach volleyball coach resigned his position Thursday, according to an announcement from athletics director Matt Whiting.
Thibodeaux’s run with the Bears covered the 2025 and 2026 seasons.
During that stretch he played a hand in moving the program forward, though his tenure wraps up without a long-term commitment to the role.
Whiting acknowledged Thibodeaux’s contributions in a statement tied to the announcement.
“I appreciate Coach Thibodeaux’s contributions to our athletic department and beach volleyball program during his time at Central Arkansas, and wish him the best in his future endeavors,” Whiting said. “A search for our next head coach will begin immediately.”
Search begins right away
UCA isn’t wasting any time moving forward. The athletics department confirmed it’ll launch a national coaching search immediately to identify the program’s next leader.
That search kicks off at a relatively quiet point on the calendar, giving the Bears a reasonable window to build a candidate pool and make a hire before the 2027 season gets underway.
Beach volleyball programs recruiting timelines can vary, so speed matters.
The Bears competed in the ASUN Conference during Thibodeaux’s two seasons, including a trip to the 2026 ASUN Championship in Huntsville.
The program’s season came to a close at that event after falling to No. 18 North Florida in the championship opener.
Whoever takes over in Conway will inherit a program that’s still working to establish itself in the ASUN landscape.
The next hire figures to shape where UCA beach volleyball heads over the next several years.
